The present invention relates to polymer yarns and particularly, nylon or polyester yarns comprising a bicomponent yarn and a second yarn combined to form a single yarn, useful for manufacturing fabrics and garments.
Nylon yarns are used in a variety of knit and woven fabrics. There is an ongoing effort to obtain visually aesthetic fabrics with soft hand and stretch and recovery effects. One effort has led to the production of bicomponent yarns, which have been described in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,949 and 4,740,339 teach polyamide conjugate filaments, or bicomponent yarns, and methods of preparing them using an in-line spinning and stretching method. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,379 discloses bicomponent fibers of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate), prepared by melt-spinning, drawing, and annealing.
The benefit of bicomponent yarns as described in these patents is that they produce a bulking or crimping effect that is useful in the construction of stretch garments. For example, these patents teach that by using polymers having different shrinkages in the bicomponent yarn, the desired bulking or crimping effect may be attained. This differential shrinkage can be obtained by using different polymers, or using similar polymers with different relative viscosities. However, the fabrics made up solely of bicomponent yarns often do not have the desired visual effects, soft hand, and stretch and recovery.
The present invention relates to a bicomponent effect yarn, comprising a bicomponent yarn and a second yarn, that has been found to obtain the visual effects, soft hand, and stretch and recovery desired. While composite yarns have been described in the art, none of these other yarns have all of the properties desired by the present invention. Composite yarns, for example, have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,275. Therein, a composite yarn was described in which a load bearing yarn is combined with a fusible bonding yarn or a bulking yarn. However, this yarn was intended as a bonding yarn because of the strength attributed to it and did not attain the visual effects and soft hand attributed to the bicomponent effect yarns of the present invention.
In another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,618, a composite yarn is described comprising a chain stitch yarn with an inlay yarn inserted into the chain stitch yarn. While this patent was directed to achieving a stretchable fabric, the use of water-soluble yarns and elastomeric yarns are specifically contemplated. The bicomponent effect yarns of the present invention, on the other hand, do not generally use water-soluble yarns and is further able to obtain a stretchable fabric without the use of elastomeric polymers.
In some applications, nylon yarns have been used to cover elastomeric spandex either by twisting or by air jet texturing. As a result, some fabrics made from these yarns have a good stretch and recovery, but often do not have the visual aesthetics associated with the present invention. Moreover, spandex is a rubbery fiber, which does not absorb dyes well, unlike the bicomponent effect yarns of the present invention. Also, because spandex is a rubbery fiber, it does not provide the desired soft feel or xe2x80x9chandxe2x80x9d as compared to the present invention.
Thus, the present invention is directed to a bicomponent effect yarn that may be knitted or woven into fabrics having desired visual impact, hand, and stretch and recovery. Moreover, because these woven fabrics are preferably made of nylon yarns, they are also dyeable and durable. The texture of the fabrics made from the yarns of the present invention has a smooth and velvety hand as compared to other fabrics that are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,379 describes a blend of a polyester bicomponent staple fiber and a second polyester staple fiber. See, e.g., example XXV. However, combinations of yarns or continuous filaments are not proposed.
The present invention relates to a polymer yarn comprising a bicomponent yarn and a second yarn combined to form a single yarn. The bicomponent yarn comprises at least a first component and a second component each comprised of a fiber-forming polymer and each preferably having different shrinkages, which effectuate a bulking effect. This may be obtained, for example, by using different polymers or using polymers having different relative viscosities. The polymer yarn of the present invention has advantageously exhibited an improved visual effect, including a stratified effect, which improves the visual composition of products produced using the yarn. Moreover, the polymer yarn of the present invention often provides an unexpectedly soft hand and good stretch and recovery to fabrics produced from it. The soft hand was particularly marked in knit fabrics.
In another embodiment of the invention, products produced using the polymer yarn are described. In particular, a fabric comprising the polymer yarn may be produced using the polymer yarn. Furthermore, garments made from such fabrics are taught.
In yet another embodiment, a process of making the polymer yarn comprises combining a bicomponent yarn with a second yarn to form a single yarn, wherein the bicomponent yarn comprises at least a first component and a second component each comprised of a fiber-forming polymer and each having shrinkages different from each other. The process may further include, prior to said combining step, producing the bicomponent yarn from its first and second filament components.